


Coming Home

by Reverent_Moonlight



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Romance, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:42:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29381541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reverent_Moonlight/pseuds/Reverent_Moonlight
Summary: Takes off three years after the defeat of Naraku with Kagome missing her life in the past. When the well reopens, and she’s able to jump back to her life in the Feudal era, will the place she calls home still be the same?
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/Sesshoumaru
Comments: 18
Kudos: 128





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was something that had originally popped in my mind when I first started writing SessKag related fic’s. I’ve toyed with this for about a year now, so you all will be getting the finished works. Granted, I’ll be reading back through and fine tuning some of it so that it hopefully flows in a way you can all enjoy!

Her opponent lunged at her, arm outstretched to grab her in what was sure to be a bruising grip. She sidestepped just enough that his arm grazed her side, and brought her own down trapping him to her. Raising her other arm up she rammed her fist into his face three times in quick, rapid succession. Stunning the male before her as she pushed him back. Quickly, before he could get his bearings, she dropped, threw her leg out, and effectively put him on his back. Drawing her dagger she leaped on top of him, blade to his throat.

Her opponent raised his hand and tapped her arm.

"I concede."

Her fierce and determined look quickly faded as a radiant smile took its place. Blue eyes aglow with pride and joy she sat him reaching a hand down to the male who had been training her for the last three years.

"You did well, Kagome."

He gripped her hand as she helped pull him to his feet.

"Thank you, Takaru."

She had started taking classes with him a few months after the well closed. Her heavy heart had needed a distraction. She had laid around in her bed the first week. Sadness, loss, _depression_ , radiating off of her in waves. Her mother had crawled up in bed with everyday. Would pull her to her and hold her while she cried, mourned, and then finally, accepted her loss.

Her acceptance had not come with happiness. She was not the same girl who had went down the well on her fifteenth birthday. The spark in her eye had dimmed as her smiles were forced. She was simply living through the motions.

When she had seen the flyer for Takaru's classes posted on the window of the store she frequented she hadn't even given it a second glance. However, every time she went it never escaped her notice. The idea just seemed to integrate itself into her mind. It had started out teasingly. Wondering how much it would have helped while she was on the hunt for the shards with her friends. It went on like this for awhile.

_How shocked would Inuyasha be if she ever got to go back?_

_Would she have been more help to her friends back then?_

_Miroku's face would be hilarious when she tossed him over shoulder for trying to let his cursed hand wonder._

_Sango would be a great sparring partner._

_She could actually help give Shippo lessons in protecting himself._

And just like that, the switch flipped. It allowed her to live in her own little world that one day when, if, the well opened she could help. She wouldn't need protection any longer. She wouldn't be their weakness. The _liability_.

She padded across the wood floor to her bag by the wall and pulled out towel. Wiping the perspiration from her face she pulled out a water bottle and drank.

It made her wish she had kept more water on hand for the others when they battled. It took so much out of your body when you put it through the ringer like she had. Much less every day. Guilt washed over her momentarily until she swiped it away. What was done was done.

She looked over at Takaru. He was a well built male. Somewhere in his mid to late twenties. He had dark brown hair that was shorn nearly to his scalp. His green eyes, lighter than Shippo's, could be hard, unyielding when training. When training was over though, they exploded into a gaze that radiated warmth. He was a hard trainer, but an understanding male.

He knew she had things that bothered her. _Demons in her closet._ When he had said that she had burst in a raging fit of giggles. While he had probably thought her momentarily insane she couldn't help but laugh at the irony. She did indeed have demons. But instead of a closet they were in a _well_. Five hundred years in the past.

She grinned sadly at the thought.

"Are you okay, Kagome?"

A hand at her arm brought her out of her silent musing as she glanced up to meet the eyes of her trainer.

"Oh, yes, Takaru. I'm fine. Just remembering some old friends."

He nodded and released her to step away.

"Alright. This week you just need to practice meditating. No offense, girl, but you suck at sitting still. Three years, and I swear you've gotten worse than when you first walked through these doors."

She blushed slightly as she tilted her head back and groaned, ponytail dancing along her back at the motion. She watched as he walked off to start putting the dojo back in order. She really did suck at meditating. Clearing her mind was a near impossibility. To many thoughts, worries, fears. It was hard to just push them away.

"Yes, sir."

When she arrived back at the shrine, she set her bag down in the entryway and slipped off her shoes.

"I'm home!"

Padding into the living room, she saw her brother on the couch playing some video game her mother had brought home for him a few weeks ago. He was a teeny bit obsessed.

"Hey, Souta. Where's mom?"

She peeked into the kitchen, but didn't see anything.

"I think she said she was going to the store. Something about needing ginger," he said with a shrug.

"Alright, well I'm going to head up and shower before she gets back."

Her reply was little more than a grunt. Blue eyes narrowed on his dark head.

If he'd been paying attention he would have saw the punishment coming. If he'd been paying attention he would have felt the displeasure of her aura. If he'd been paying attention... well... he wouldn't be getting what was coming to him.

That game had turned her brother into a zombie. She was determined to set it right.

She bent the knuckles of her pointer fingers and positioned them on either side of his head and dug them in to his skull while twisting. It felt like someone was drilling into your head while forcing your brain to bleed out of your ears. Easy to do, but extremely painful. A fitting punishment for the little brat.

He squealed, throwing his controller down while reaching for her hands. She just applied more pressure while he sunk further down the couch, nearly in the floor trying to escape her wrath.

"Kagome! Kami, stop!"

"Is that anyway to respond to your beloved older sister? I'm hurt, Souta. I had thought I was loved a little more than that."

Twist. Grind.

"Ah! You are! I'm sorry! Please! _Kami, Kagome!_ Please!"

"Hm..."

She applied a bit more pressure.

"I won't do it again! _Ow!_ I promise!"

She let go.

"Good. Now was having an actual conversation for once so hard?"

He was laying on his side on the couch while fiercely rubbing the sides of his head.

"It is when your brain is about to be squeezed out of your ears!"

He moaned as he rubbed a particular sore spot.

"Next time you'll actually say something back instead of grunting at me like a caveman."

She skipped up the steps. Sometimes being back wasn't so bad.


	2. Chapter 2

Sliding the door shut behind him, Sesshoumaru made his way to the hot springs connected to his room. Divesting himself of his clothing, he stepped down into the mineral rich waters, and let the heat soak into his bones. As the steam rose up and created a mist on his skin, he pushed out with his senses and listened for any disturbances. The servants knew not to intrude on his space, but with so many nobles in his home he was weary of anything and everything. He refused to be caught unawares of anything happening in his domain. 

Determining he was alone he sunk down on the ledge with a sigh and let the mask fall away as he swiped a clawed hand down his face. He was tired and worn. 

The meeting itself was necessary. It allowed them to air out any grievances, renegotiate treaties, barter goods, make mating arrangements, and it was an excellent time to gather information on the other lords and the going ons of their court. Much could be read during the yearly meetings. 

The Eastern Lord, who was normally carefree and wirey, showed minor tales of stress. He’d heard rumors the male was currently trying to save his relationship with his mate. Rumors of arguments had reached the west about the male being unfaithful. The Eastern Lady on the other hand, was currently trying to find a way to dissolve the union. From the tense lines in his face and the agitated flickering of his aura, he determined the rumors possibly held some truth. 

He would have to be conscious of his borders for any signs of uprisings that may need to be reported to the Eastern rulers. Conflict between mated rulers often lead to insurrections. Some other minor lord lurking in the shadows for the chance to step up and initiate a challenge for the right to rule. To often it happened, and while he _despised_ the possibility the Eastern Lord could have partaken in infidelity to such a sacred bond, he _abhorred_ the idea of dealing with a new lordling who would most assuredly take the chance to issue new laws, treaties, and trade. It was a headache he did not need, and there was also the fact that if you looked past the integrity of his relationship with his mate, Kyro was indeed a fitting lord. 

The South was, for the most part, still content. The only information he had gathered had coincided with what was spoken at the gathering. The Southern Lady, Rika, had reported that they had recovered and rebuilt, so there was no need for change. The only stipulation had been over trade disputes. Naraku’s reach had not been as devastating in that part of the land, but it had still been touched by his menace to the point that crops refused to grow in some areas.

The North had been relatively quiet in the past year. The only substantial bit of information he had heard was of the Northern Princess and Eastern Wolves leader finally mating. He had heard of him chasing his mate. The tales of him confessing his so called _love_ had nearly made him ill. 

The Northern Lord, Ryuko, had nudged him to mate his daughter about three and half years ago. Trying to entice him with prospects of the West holding claim on the land the dragon Ryukosusei once owned. 

In the privacy of his own hot spring, he freely rolled his eyes. As if he could not obtain the land of the North if he so wished it was laughable. 

The other lords were prone to forget the actual meaning behind his name. The world even seemed to forget the power he held. Although, eight centuries was a lot of time for the world in the view of humanity, for demons it was barely a blink. Their forgetfulness came in the face of his complacency. Just because he could decimate all of Japan in the blink of an eye, did not mean he wanted too. He was content with what he had. He did not require more than that, nor did he really want it. 

The face of the Western Lord did though, just as all demons coveted more. More _power_. More _land_. More _knowledge_. The face of Sesshoumaru, however, cared not. Like his father, he was more concerned with allowing the world to continue on as it was. To allow it to grow and thrive, to help aid its progression was his main goal. His power was all encompassing. What better way to use that than to aid the growth of the world? To help shape it and form it into something of perfection? 

The only other thing the Western Lord truly wished for was a home to call his own, not a stronghold filled with self deprecating individuals who used words as a blade, and love as a posion. He wanted a mate who saw him and cared for him for who he was and not _what_ he was. He wanted a field full of pups that were the product of the bond he held with the other half the gods had made for him, and he for her. Not heirs that were simply bred with a target on their backs and raised for the purpose of taking his place when he was assuredly felled in some poetic battle. 

He felt the pain as well as the pure and utter joy as he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the smooth stone behind him, and allowed himself to dream for just a moment. Allowed himself to bathe in the possibilities. Allowed himself to hope. 

A knock at the door yanked him out of his fantasy and the mask slammed down as his eyes flew open. 

“Milord, the others have started gathering in the dining hall and are starting to request your presence.”

Water sloshed as he raised himself up out of the spring. 

“Very well. Inform them I shall join momentarily.”

“Yes, milord." 

He listened as the servants footsteps carried her away, and down the hall. A near silent sigh escaped his lips. _Tedious traditions_. 

His brow creased in frustration and longing as flashes of his deepest wants tormented him once more. With no small amount of effort, he pushed them into the dark recesses of his mind, only to be pulled out once more when he felt like torturing himself with what he, the strongest demon to ever be born, could not ever have. 

His mask smoothed out into the cool look of indifference he had perfected over the centuries as the Western Lord walked away from his desires to perform his duties.


	3. Chapter 3

Stepping out of the shower, Kagome reached for a towel and quickly dried off. Satisfied that the moisture was removed from her body, she wrapped it around her hair to collect the waterlogged strands and bent her neck forward to start the tedious task of drying it. It had become increasingly difficult to manage in the last year. 

She had let it grow to the point it now reached the middle of her bottom, while she could admit it looked good, part of her often wanted to reach up with a pair of scissors and just cut it all off. It was thick and heavy, constantly getting in her face, and, more often than not, when she sat down, it tended to get trapped behind her back, and if she leaned forward to far, her whole head would get a nasty jerk. She mentally cursed Sesshoumaru as she rubbed ferociously at the strands trying to absorb as much water as fast as she could. She had always loved the daiyokai’s hair. It was beautiful, shiny, ethereal, and long - _very, very long_. She had thought that she could pull it off. If a male could do it, why couldn’t she? But of course, her hair refused to comply with her wishes. Even with as long and thick as it was it still hung in waves. The added weight doing nothing to straighten the wave it held. So here she was. Kagome Higarashi. Ex-Guardian of the Shikon no Tama. Time Traveler to the Past. Vanquished of Naraku. She had fought the things of fairy tales, shot arrows at the legendary Lord of the West, stood in the face of evil and looked it in the eye, and lived through all of it. Now - _now_ \- she was cursed to fight hair for the rest of her life. Perhaps Yura was haunting her for smashing her comb. 

Feeling a crick starting to develop from leaning her head over to long, she sat up and glanced at the strands. They were still quite damp, but at least water wouldn’t be dripping down her back for the rest of the afternoon. 

She combed through it, making sure to remove any tangles that had developed from her rough handling. Once satisfied, she quickly dressed and made her way down stairs. 

The sound of bags rustling greeted her as she turned the corner and made her way into the kitchen. Her mother had returned, and was placing items on the counter. 

“Hey, mama.”

She turned and her mother shot her a smile. 

“Kagome, how was your afternoon? You had practice with Takaru didn’t you?”

“Yeah. He says I’m doing well, meditation aside. I’m supposed to be attempting to find my center for this week. Again.”

Nodding her head with a knowing smile she turned back to the groceries and began to work on dinner. Her mother knew and understood her plight with meditation. 

“I'm sure you'll manage, honey.”

She stepped up to the counter next to her mother and began helping with the evening meal. Separating the items she needed she fell into the routine she was so used to. 

Since being sent back through the well, she had started helping her mother prepare each meal regardless of her insistence that she didn’t need to help. She had simply stated that it wasn’t a problem and something she wanted to do to help out. While both were true, it wasn’t the whole reason. She had gotten into the habit of preparing the meals while on the hunt for the shards, and while it wasn’t the same, the action of it helped ease a part of her wounded heart. 

Kami, she missed them. She missed them all. So much so that sometimes it was a struggle to even breathe. There were times her soul felt like it was going to tear itself to shreds from the loss. _Inuyasha_. _Sango_. _Miroku_. _Shippo_. _Kaede_. _Kouga_. _Rin_. _Sesshoumaru_. Yes, she even missed the stoic lord. While he was short and often brisk with his interactions with her, he had still protected her. More than once. Most thought the daiyokai was cold and unfeeling. She knew better. She could often times feel the emotions flowing in his aura. See them flickering, changing, and flaring in his eyes. He wasn’t unfeeling. Far from it if really. He was just more reserved, more careful, when he allowed those emotions to show in front of others. 

Finished with her preparations, she dumped her part in the pot at the stove. Walking over to the sink she started washing her hands of the leftover particles. 

Reaching for a towel to dry her hands off, she suddenly froze. A jolt shot down her spine. Hope and excitement curled in her belly. Her reiki flared as it felt the tale-tale signs of power seemingly creep out and latch on to her and _tug_. 

Her eyes locked on to her mother’s who was already looking at her with concern creasing her brow. 

“The well...”

xXx

He was sipping sake while listening to the crowd around him talk incessantly about things that were of no consequence or actual meaning to any of them. It was all a game. One noble trying to trip up the other into revealing information that was deemed valuable to the other. It was rather foolish. Every demon in attendance had been alive for hundreds of years, had been raised in the life of court, and were each skilled in the art of deception and manipulation. They were far to old for these weak attempts at interrogation. 

Stifling an annoyed sigh, Sesshoumaru let his mind wonder to the visions he had been having the for the last year. He already knew what they were, where they were from, and who they were about. What he did not know was _when_. He had been preparing himself for the inevitable. Steeling his instincts. Fortifying his resolve. Cementing his indomitable will. He knew it was likely for nothing. The Kami were not so overlooked. Their design was unfortunately much stronger than his own control, and that was soon to be nonexistent. _How soon though..._

Glancing around the dinning area once more he took in the faces of those around him and contemplated the possibility... They would rage. They would condemn him. Launch ill placed accusations. Hurl insults. Possibly go to war. 

And yet...

The fantasy from earlier flashed briefly in his mind. 

It was worth it. 

If he was to lose himself to instinct, he would not squander the opportunity, he would take it and wrap it in his orb and go as far and as fast as he could with it. 

Lifting his cup to his lips once more he wrestled with his thoughts. The drawbacks of withholding this information for so long was more than likely going to cost him. The time spent on this particular endeavor was going to be extended exponentially longer because of his lack of sharing. The side effects from it would more than likely take sometime smoothing out until everything was fully resolved and was unobjectionably assured. It was going to be... _challenging_ if he was even given the opportunity. 

Hearing the northern lord ask him about his trade agreements with the humans prompted him to open his mouth to reply only to have it snap shut. Something thrummed deep in his core. Stirring his soul. Pulling his very being and _demanding he go_. 

Apparently _when_ , was _now_. 

Everyone froze as they watched the daiyokai before them. His aura lashed out, eyes bled red, marks turned jagged. His head cocked to the side in an extremely lupine expression as his eyes cut to the wall to his left and just... stared. The other lords flared their auras and sent their senses racing to feel any potential threats in the area. Coming up short they were left weary and confused. _What did he sense that they did not?_

A low growl came from the head of the table, and then a loud boom had the demons in attendance diving for cover and raising barriers as an explosion burst out from the dining room. When the dust cleared, they were all left staring in shock at the huge hole in the wall and turned to look at the Western Lord for answers, only to see the place he had been vacated. Auras flared once more searching for any sign of him only to come up empty handed. Sesshoumaru was _gone_.


	4. Chapter 4

Everything was a blur as he raced east. He could feel the wind pulling and tangling his hair, could feel the cuts from branches healing only to have another replace it. He did not care.

His instincts, his blood, his very soul were demanding he go to Edo. To the Bone Eaters Well. To _her_.

He tried to reign it in. Tried to think past the need. Every attempt was thwarted by the same chanting that had wrecked his very being all those years ago when he had first laid eyes on her.

_Mine. Mine. Mine._

Three years she had been gone. Three years he had been deprived of his mate. A mate he had not wanted. Not at first. He had fought it. Had refused to acknowledge her beyond a passing glare. She was human. A miko. Mortal. She would _die_. So he pushed her aside to the far reaches of his mind, only to be brought out when he felt exceptionally weak to the call of what was his by the kami’s decree.

When it became exceptionally agonizing, he would search her out and watch. Over time he saw the way she interacted with the members of her group. Saw the way she mothered the young orphaned fox kit. Saw they way she cared for the well-being of the slayer and monk. Saw the way she disciplined his brother. The way she _loved_ him. He had never felt a rage so deep and burning upon that revelation. He watched as the whelp broke her over and over and the way she stood back up, brushed herself off, and kept going. He was hard pressed to acknowledge the strength his little miko held. Especially when he witnessed her letting him go. He saw the hurt in her eyes the final time she looked at him with all of the love her heart radiated until something else flickered. Acceptance.

She let go that day, some hadn’t seen, but he had. She still loved him, but he saw that love change and morph into something akin to that of a sibling. Her eyes sharing the same look the slayers held when she looked upon the boy, Kohaku.

It wasn’t long after that he caught what her scent did not hold, what he had initially assumed was there. Death. She did not carry its bittersweet fragrance.

He saw it all for what it was. A chance. He had _a chance_ to fix this. To have his mate. He had felt hope spark and then flare wide, something he had not experienced since he was a young pup.

That was when the fantasies started, and when he had first really hated his birth rite. Had he not been a lord, he would have never have faltered as long as he had. He would have seen her the way his brother did, the way the human lord did, the way the wolf did, and he would have jumped as they all had.

He would not make the mistake again. He pushed forward, his feet flying beneath him as he ducked, leaped, and soared through the forest. He could smell her now.

Her scent carrying across the wind to taunt and tease him causing his eyes bled an even deeper red.

A growl rumbled in his chest when he caught the scent of halfbreed mingling with his mate’s. He would not have her this time. A near feral grin spread across his features. Kagome was _his_.

xXx

She felt it as soon as her feet touched the bottom of the well. A rumbling aura, that was making a beeline straight towards her, was yanking and pulling on her own while at the same time seemingly caressing it. She shuddered at the tingles that shot down her spine, heat flared in her chest and left her gasping. What the hell was that?

It was nearly to the clearing when a clawed hand reached down into the well. Her eyes widened at the claws, and then lifted to meet the widened eyes of her former love. Her best friend. Twin smiles echoed between them as she reached up to have him lift her out.

He smirked as he set her down, eyes lit with laughter and joy, but guarded as the aura sweeping towards them pulsed.

“Keh, just gotta bring trouble with dontcha, wench?”

The teasing tones brought a grin to her face. She had missed him.

“Hey! It’s not like it’s my fault. I don’t even have the jewel anymore!”

He rolled his eyes at her as he drew Tessaiga, “Sure it ain’t. Let’s just get this done and get back to the village, alright? Sango will kill me if you get kidnapped before she even got the chance to say hi first.”

Setting her pack down, she braced as she felt the aura flare once again. She knew that aura. Her brow crinkled in confusion. But why - ?

Turning she saw a flash of silver as it entered the clearing before her vision blurred and found her back against a tree on the other side. Shaking off the dizzying feeling she felt she called her reiki to the surface, lightening spiderwebbing and crackling beneath her skin preparing to be unleashed at the force keeping her pinned to the bark behind her.

Silver strands of hair tickled her face as a low rumble vibrated her chest. Her eyes were bombarded by a mixture of white and red, and - fur?

“ _Miko_.”

Dark, velvet tones slid over her. She knew that voice, just as she knew the pattern decorating the shoulder of the haori in front of her face.

Blue rose to meet rose gold and she shivered at the heat in those eyes and the bit of fear that slivered through her brain.

“Sesshoumaru.”

xXx

Her curves were smashed against the hard planes of his body and fought to keep from trembling. She was here and he was holding her and smelling her and looking at her. His mate. His Kagome.

He dipped his nose and ran it along the curve of her throat, the contented rumbling in his chest increasing as he did.

Confusion, anxiety, wonder, and the tiniest bit of fear floated around her. His brow crinkled a bit at the last one, and brought him back to himself. She had not seen him in three years, and even previous to that their interactions had not been friendly. Respectful, perhaps, at the end. But nothing to warrant his current behavior in her eyes. He needed to lock it down, leash his instincts, at least until he had a chance to speak with her properly.

Clawed tipped fingers started trembling with the restraint he exercised to pull himself off of her. Space. She needed space. She did not know. Taking a deep breath to reign it all in, he took a step back and opened his mouth to extend an invitation to talk later tonight only for his wretched half breed brother to step between them, grab his mate, and leap across the clearing with her in his arms.

All of his walls, his hesitancies, his restraint came crashing down as his rage flooded out of him in a _roar_ that only a male that had found his mate could expend at the sight of his female in the arms of another.

xXx

Inuyasha’s bones shook as he stared at his brother and for the first time in his life actually feared the bastard. He shoved Kagome behind him and flashed Tessaiga at the beast in front of him. Because that’s what his brother was at the moment. A raging pissed off beast that looked like he was about to seriously fuck up everything within sight. If Kagome saw the trembling of his hand, she thankfully didn’t comment on it.

“What the fuck is the matter with you?!”

His brother snarled savagely in response and crouched getting ready to attack. His claws extended, poison dripping from the tips. He stepped back, and put his hand out, brushing Kagome’s arm in the process.

Sesshoumaru’s blood red eyes narrowed in on the contact and his aura flared wildly. He felt the slight tingling sensation of Kagome’s reiki jump in response.

_What the hell?_

His jaw about crashed to the ground as hard as his face usually does when he’s sat. His brain narrowly processed the shit show in front of him. His brothers aura was... _petting_ Kagome’s, and hers was returning the action. Curling and twisting around his in an almost loving manner.

His face paled in recognition. He was utterly dead. He unconsciously gripped Kagome’s arm, but it didn’t go unnoticed by Sesshoumaru. Nope, it spurred him into action and as Inuyasha pushed Kagome back once more, the only thing going through his head came out between his lips.

“ _Fucking shit_.”


	5. Chapter 5

The clearing trembled as the two opposing forces collided. The sounds of enraged snarling and sharp grunts of pain echoed all around. Youki, thick and heavy in the air, made it near impossible to stand under its dominating will. She could only stand and stare slack-jawed at the sight before her in confusion and shock.

Her eyes widened as she watched the two dog demons before her attempt to tear each other apart. Her breath caught in her throat at the sheer... brutality. Yes, she had been caught up in battles, had witnessed the evil Naraku inflicted, had even seen the two before her fight on more than one occasion.

But this...

Inuyasha sharp yelp caught her attention, and she gasped at the sight of Sesshoumaru's claws sticking into his shoulder. Blood soaked his hand and darkened Inuyasha's firerat robes. He grimaced from the pain, and with a sharp jerk, threw himself backwards to dislodge his brother from his body.

His move allowed him to leap a few feet away. His left arm sagging from the injury while his eyes bored into the bloody pools in front of him, watching for any signs of attack. They both looked ragged, feral. Blood coated both of them, wounds leaking their life force and allowing it to coat the ground around them.

Sesshoumaru lifted his hand and, with grin full of feral pride, licked the blood from his clawed fingers.

Teeth bared, Inuyasha chanced a glanced at Kagome. She still stood in the place he had left her when the fight began. Thankfully. If she had gotten involved... a loud snarl had his eyes spinning back to his brother to late. He was flying through the air, a heaving pain in his abdomen. _Stupid_. This was not the normally stoic, cold hearted, pain in the ass, bastard of a brother he normally dealt with. This was a male protecting his unbound mate from another.

His back crashed into a tree, and the force of the blow no doubt broke a few ribs. His skull felt like it was going to split open, and his vision blurred. He vaguely heard Kagome's cry of warning before he felt an iron grip lock around his throat and lift him into the air.

His breathing had been compromised by the crash landing, but now - every breath felt agonizing as searing pain shot through his lungs.

He focused enough to notice the ragged, enraged breaths his brother was producing. His mouth open to allow the gleam of his fangs to intimidate and warn.

Sesshoumaru held the halfbreed up with a tight grip as he contemplated squeezing his throat until it collapsed and his head rolled from his body. His body thrummed with the need to eliminate the threat. To end the male's life before he attempted to take his female away. He would not allow it. She was _his_. Only his. He would not let another attempt to come between them.

Decision set, he started to tighten his hand. The male's gasping, guttural breaths brought a type of carnal satisfaction. He watched as his face started turning shades of blue and purple, watched as his eyes started swimming into the back of his head.

The sharp cry of his female brought him to attention as he allowed his eyes to stray from his opponent. The sight that greeted him had his eye brows furrowing. She was crying. His mate was unhappy. The salty scent of tears floated to him on the breeze, and for a moment he paused his grip. She did not want him to kill the male?

Kagome's heart was about to explode out of her chest as she watched the scene before her. Sesshoumaru was going to kill him. He was really going to kill Inuyasha. She had been back for only an hour at most, and she was already going to be tormented with the sight of losing her best friend. She willed herself to body to move. To do _something_ besides stand there locked in place. She had trained for three years, and the moment it matters most, she's frozen like the weak human girl she was when she first started the hunt for the jewel.

Tears fell, as a sob escaped her chest. Worthless. She watched as Sesshoumaru tensed, and then turned to look at her. Confusion marring the features of his crazed appearance. He seemed to war with himself as he gazed at her, his red eyes glowing and simmering.

That was when it hit her. _Red_. His demonic side. It was the reason he was doing this. Something had set him off. Her mind quickly threw away any reason and self preservation she may have had right out the window as she took a step forward. And then another.

His eyes focused on every movement she made, shivers ran down her spine as she felt his aura slither it's way around hers in an almost sensual way. It coaxed, prodded - _caressed_ her own aura into responding, and against her own violation her reiki jumped to the surface and returned the attentions. They seemed to dance as they curled and wrapped around each other. Like lovers embracing after being separated.

She pushed the pleasant feelings their tangling auras awakened in her to the back of her mind. There would be time to ponder that later, first...

She was standing before him. Their eyes locked just as his fist was currently still locked to Inuyasha's throat. His crimson depths studied her. His eyes roving her face, her body. Slowly, she reached out. Hand surprisingly steady, she gently touched the sleeve of the arm that wasn't holding her friend. She saw rather than felt him relax, his expression never changing.

"Sesshoumaru. Please."

His eyes narrowed, and she swallowed as anxiety made her heart beat faster. It's pounding rhythm so loud she could hear it echoing in her ears.

"Let him down."

A slight snarl curved his lips, as he turned his face back to Inuyasha as his shoulders tensed in agitation.

She stepped between them, possibly the stupidest choice she had ever made in her life. She reached up and grazed a finger along the jagged markings of his face. His deep growl caused her to pull her finger back, but he leaned forward, faster than she could keep up with, and nipped it between his teeth. Her eyes widened and her breathing hitched. His gaze held her own captive. His arm still outstretched behind her.

"Please," it came out breathy. In any other situation it would have been indecent. The huskiness in her tone, and the heat that seemed to spiral through his eyes had her body slumping towards him and tightening all at once.

She heard the thump of a body falling behind her, followed by loud wracking coughs as air tried to make its way into Inuyasha's deprived lungs. She would have turned to assist him, but two steel bands wrapped around her waist while deadly teeth kept her finger captive.

She watched carefully as his jaw loosened its hold. She pulled the dainty appendage away, and nearly felt her eyes pop out of their sockets as he leaned forward, and _licked_ the indentions left behind.

His head came forward, and buried itself in her neck. His nose pulling in deep breaths, as he skimmed it up to her ear before he nuzzled into her hair.

She froze as she felt his hot breath puffing by her ear, and repressed a shiver. His velvet timber, dark and husky, spoke one word that had her emotions explode in a wild bout of confusion, shock, and - _rightness._

" _Mine_."


	6. Chapter 6

Everyone was gathered in Kaede’s hut a few hours later. It was nearly dark now. Inuyasha was lying on a futon, wounds bandaged and healing. At first glance, it had looked as though he only had the initial punctures from Sesshoumaru’s claws and a few bruises. Painful, yes, but nothing overly concerning. However, the extent of internal damage Sesshoumaru had managed without breaking the skin was mildly terrifying. Inuyasha had ended up with four broken ribs, possibly multiple spinal fractures, a concussion, a few broken fingers, and a collapsed lung. His limited movement in his back was the most pressing concern, but he had been assuring everyone in his own gruff way that he would be fine after a few days. 

When Miroku and Sango had shown up to the clearing shortly after the battle had ended, she had been ecstatic to see her friends well and happy. The reunion wasn’t what she had planned, but she was still pleased to see them after being separated for so long. 

It had been difficult for them hauling Inuyasha back to the village, and she had attempted to break away to help them. However, twin bands of steel had held her in place and halted her movements with a deep rumbling growl that had her stomach clenching. 

She had remained still after that figuring she would allow Sesshoumaru the time needed to gather himself. Apparently, gathering his self control took some time. Quite a bit of time considering she was still trapped in his arms in the confined hut with four pairs of eyes glued to her subtly asking for answers at her current predicament. Answers she didn’t have. 

“So is everyone of ya’ll cowards just gonna ignore everything that’s going on, or are ya gonna ask the wench?” She grit her teeth while narrowing her eyes. Of course Inuyasha would throw her under the bus. Three years and he still hadn’t changed. 

Miroku cleared his throat as he turned his smiling violet eyes, tinged with weariness at the male who had her in his grasp, back towards her. “It is wonderful to see you again, Lady Kagome. If you don’t mind if I ask, how is it that you have returned to us?”

She felt the arms holding her in place tense. Apparently, he was curious as well. 

“To be honest, I’m not sure. My mother and I were getting ready to make dinner, and I felt the well... calling me. It was like it was pulling me to it, and the longer I waited, the stronger it got. By the time, I said my goodbye’s it felt like it was going to forcibly pull me from inside of our home. I’ve never felt it like that before. Not even when I first came through.”

A crease appeared between Miroku’s brows as he considered the information given. “Perhaps you were never meant to stay away from this era. It could be you were always meant to be here, or there may be something else you have yet to complete. I could work with you on meditating to see if the Kami decide to enlighten you.”

She nearly groaned, but instead she smiled and simply said, “of course.” Five hundred years away and Takaru was still going to make sure she practiced. _Typical_. 

Inuyasha huffed from his prone position near the fire and winced slightly. “I wasn’t talking about that and you know it, monk.”

Violet eyes twinkled a bit as he winked at her. “I’m not quite sure what you mean, my friend. What other matter could there be?”

“I may have a broken back, but I can still kick your ass. Are you seriously not concerned as to why that bastard is holding on to her like that? Or why he nearly killed me to get to her?”

She stared at Inuyasha carefully. He was talking as though he already knew the reason. If he had.... Her mind started reeling back, but she remembered the shock in his aura back in the clearing. He knew, but he hadn't deliberately hidden anything from her. 

Chancing a glance upward at the male at the center of it all, she expected to be be met with still reddened eyes. It was easy to say she was surprised to be met with the normally golden hues. So similar to her hanyou friend and yet so different. 

At first glance, the color appeared to be the same, but when one took the opportunity to take a closer look, the differences were astounding. 

Inuyasha’s held the base gold coloring that was shared between the two half brothers, but his were flecked with yellow and amber specks that gave life to the light inside his heart. Sesshoumaru’s, on the other hand, were darker and the gold appeared in the form of a starburst exploding from his slitted pupils. And the coloring was absolutely gorgeous. It held more orangish hues that seemed to burn and rage. Completely at odds with the normally cool disposition he usually held. 

Those same orangish hues seemed to lighten suddenly, almost amusedly. Curious at the reaction, she nearly asked when the answer hit her right in the face. She was _staring_. Looking down at her lap to hide her heated cheeks, she felt a slight rumbling at her back. Was he... laughing? At her? 

Before she had a chance to look back to verify, the smooth baritone voice settled above her head spoke to the room. 

“The reason is between the miko and myself. However, your deduction is correct.”

Inuyasha scoffed and she raised a brow in question that he ignored. 

“Wouldn’t take a genius to figure it out. One glance at the way your auras were dancing around each other answered that. Not to mention you came in all raging and pissed off ready to mark your territory.”

“Hn.”

She looked around at the others to see if they knew what was going on. One look at Miroku and Sango told her enough to know they were just as lost as she was. Though Sango seemed to be trying to piece it together with the way she was chewing on the nail of her thumb and starring into the fire as though it would tell her the answer. Although, Shippo seemed to know, the hair on the top of his head bouncing as he nodded his head, but she couldn't ask him. She doubted his ability to explain it to her without help from one of the others, and the only one who knew for sure....

Deciding she had enough of being kept in the dark, she gently tugged on the sleeve of one of the arms that was still wrapped around her. 

“Can we talk? Privately?”

He rose up in answer, and gently set her on her feet, but not quite letting her go. His hand placed on the middle of her spine as he guided her towards the entrance. 

“We shall return.”

Looking over her shoulder she saw Miroku and Sango send uneasy smiles her way, and Kaede nodding her head. It was odd how quiet she had been the whole time, though she could somewhat understand. Sesshoumaru was a force to be reckoned with on a good day, and today... well, she wasn’t sure _what_ today was, but she was determined to find out. 

xXx

He could practically hear the wheels turning in her head as they walked in what little light was left of the setting sun to the tree line. She was uneasy, concerned, weary, yet oddly calm. The calm was what concerned him. She had been a raging wild fire when she was taken away by the jewel, though he supposed time could have eased some of her temper. He hoped that was the case. It would make everything he needed to say and do go quite a bit smoothly. 

Three year had made quite the difference in her appearance as well. Her features had slimmed out, giving her the mature look of a young woman rather than an older child. She carried herself with confidence, something she had not done often, and he had noted the way her aura seemed to resonate with her surroundings. He had kept his own focused solely on her while she was studying her companions in the older miko’s hut. He could practically see the way her eyes were drinking in their appearance with each word uttered to determine if they were hiding something. She had immediately honed in on Inuyasha, but his words and her own deductions had set her at ease. He knew she had momentarily suspected the slayer, but just as he had, she wrote her off. The obvious signs of her working over what information that was shared was clear enough she suspected something, but was unsure. The monk obviously had no clue, the fox kit on the other hand had obviously just grasped the knowledge, and even if she had wanted to ask him, he wouldn’t have been able to explain. Instinctually he knew, but to put it in words... it was difficult even for some fully matured demons to describe it correctly. So, knowing none of her friends, aside from Inuyasha, could answer her on what was happening, she turned to the one who was at the center of it all - himself. His only hope was that, when she found out just how much he had hidden from her, she would give him the chance to explain. 

He slid his gaze to the woman in question as he felt her aura flare for a moment, and then draw back in tight around her. Unease, a feeling he was not well acquainted with, rose up within him. 

From her aura alone he knew he had been somewhat correct earlier. The three years away had done wonders for her temper. Had something like this happened before she was taken, she would have surely been screeching at a volume that would have had his ears bleeding before they had even left the hut. The difference now being, he knew, was the patience that was established by age. 

However, that one flare that had graced his skin with the tangible waves of her anger let him know exactly what he was in for with this discussion. His ears were going to bleed. She was just being... _considerate_ enough to not allow it to happen around others. 

Perhaps he could calm her before her temper was fully unleashed upon him. If not... well, he would not have to concern himself with being yelled at again in such a manner, for if he failed, he would be left unable to hear again after this night.


	7. Chapter 7

Kagome paced back and forth in front of the daiyokai before her. He had been silent since they had arrived, and she couldn't decide if she was relieved or angered by his refusal to interrupt her as she gathered her thoughts.

The whole way to the clearing the only thing running through her mind was his odd behavior. She had been absent from his life for three years, and even before the completion of the Shikon no Tama they had been uneasy allies at best. Then, he shows up minutes after she arrives back to the place she feels at home, _manhandles_ her against a tree, beats the living hell out of her best friend, and then proceeds to hold her in his lap as though they were - were... She didn't know for sure. But what she did know was there was _something_ going on. Whatever it was Shippo and Inuyasha had an idea, but they weren't in a position to tell her. Sesshoumaru on the other hand...

Whirling around she faced the Lord of the West with all the confusion and feminine rage she could manage in her tiny body.

"I'm going to ask this once, and you had better tell me everything. No ignoring me, no turning away, and no doing that ridiculous noise you do when you don't want to answer something."

He raised a brow at the last, but she continued on.

"I don't understand what happened earlier, and you are the only one in a position to give me answers. Something you made obviously clear when you stated back at the hut that it was between you and I. So... What is going on, Sesshomaru?"

He stared at her unblinking through her whole tirade, and if she was being honest with herself, she thought she had done well. Normally, she would have yelled at him and demanded the answers. She had technically still demanded he tell her, but she essentially left it up to him whether he would explain it to her or not. The unspoken _if_ floating between them.

If he decided not to tell her, to continue to leave her in the dark with whatever the hell was going on with him, she would respect his wishes, however, she would not be open to discuss it again.

Three years away hadn't just changed her temper.

She noted how he inhaled a silent deep breath and then released it along with all the tension he seemed to hold in his body. His shoulders sagged a bit, and his eyes looked a bit tired and weary as he met her gaze head on.

"I will explain what I can, miko. There is a lot you do not know and it will take sometime, but I will tell you all if you so wish it."

Nodding her confirmation, she watched as he lowered himself to the ground and gestured to the spot in front of him for her to do the same. She folded her legs underneath her, remaining silent in the process to await him to continue.

"Before we proceed, have any of your companions spoken with you on demon customs? Specifically mating?"

She felt the blood rush to her cheeks as she glanced away, and started picking at the blades of grass between them. She shook her head as her mind whirled. What did... _that_ have to do with what happened today?

With her head down, she couldn't see the amusement flash on the demon lords face.

_His mate was easily embarrassed._

"It is different than what you are thinking. Though your line of thought is usually involved, it is not until later on, and in some scenarios not at all."

Her brows creased as confusion melded into her scent and aura, it's prominence being the focal point for the evening.

"Mating among demons is a sacred bond. When one finds the other half of their soul, it will rise up and attempt to... reunite."

"So, like the human equivalent of a soulmate?"

He shook his head.

"Not quite. It is more... intense. While humans have their own theories regarding their souls counterpart, demons have proven knowledge. It is something that is well known among youkai, and there are a few that have experienced and reside with their true mates."

"Only a few?"

"Hn. It is difficult. Some go their whole lives without finding them. Others may lose them in battle, to sickness. Some reject the bond completely. It is not a guarantee of a fulfilled life."

She cocked her head to the side, and he felt every muscle in his body tense at the sight.

"That doesn't make sense. If the two souls are counterparts..."

He swallowed dryly as he focused on her words.

"You have answered your own question, miko. _Counterparts_. Yin and yang. Dark and light. This reflects in the individuals themselves as well, and sometimes the difference of who they are in one life, is to much to overcome. Though, in another, they could blend perfectly to create the union they were meant too. It is not a perfect system. Only the Kami understand the specifics behind its working."

She contemplated his wording, her fingers still picking and tearing apart pieces of grass.

"I think I understand. As much as I can anyway."

He nodded his head, and grew quiet as he now considered the best way to proceed. He would have to tell her everything, and he _would_. The potential fallout, not knowing the out come - this was not a position he was used to being in.

His silver hair swayed a bit as he met her eyes.

"You are mine - my mate."

Blue eyes shuddered and he could hear the pace of her heart increase.

"But - what?"

"You are my mate."

Anxiety crippled her scent along with confusion. Her aura pulsed and shuddered with the unease she was feeling.

"You're sure?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Is that why you were acting the way you did? Because you realized I was your mate?"

He inhaled deeply as he prepared to tell her the thing that could very well end any possible future that had her in it.

"Partially. I have known since I first saw you."

She reeled back as though she had been slapped, and he felt a pain in his chest at the action, but firmly remained where he was.

"You - you've known and... but you didn't say -"

"No. I did not wish the information to be known."

He watched as she looked away, her eyes refusing to meet his.

"I am a lord, miko. A youkai lord whose father's death came at the defense of a human woman. A human woman, who was under threat, because she was the mate of a youkai."

The humorless laugh that escaped her throat nearly made him cringe inwardly.

"And you could not appear weak in front of your court."

"That is part of it, though it is not the whole reason."

She shook her head and he could feel anxiety creep it's way along his spine. This was not going well. She was misunderstanding.

"Of course. I understand. It's not a secret of your dislike to my race. On top of that it would have been worse seeing as I'm a miko."

She looked back at him and he felt the cold heart he had kept locked away shake as her tear filled eyes met his.

"You rejected the bond."

It was a broken whisper, but the pain behind it...

"I did not want you to suffer for it. Understand, it was not a reflection on you, nor were any of my own prejudices involved. Those things were trivial compared to the complexities of threats that would have been involved should I have taken you then."

Her eyes clenched shut as she turned from him once again. He could not bear it.

Leaning forward he placed a hand to her face and cupped her cheek to pull her gaze back to him. When she opened her eyes, a few stray tears making their way across her flushed face, he continued.

"If I were anyone else, I would have had you that same day. But I am not. It has taken time to manage my household to be appropriate for human company. Rin was a test. It gave me the ability to weed out any that held anti human sentiments. There are still a few who care for humans, but that has more to do with their shorter life spans rather than their species."

He left everything else unsaid, though it didn't need to be vocalized anyway. He had sought to protect her until she was stronger. Vetted his staff so that she could be comfortable. Should she choose to accept him.

She took in a shaky breath, and licked her lips. Her eyes still shone with unshed tears.

"I need time to think. This is all... overwhelming, and I'm feeling to much right now to make a decision. I'm hurt that you rejected the bond. I'm disappointed that you didn't tell me. I'm sad because you have been alone this long doing it on your own. I'm confused because I'm unsure how I'm considered your counterpart. Mostly though... I'm angry because you didn't trust me. You didn't even give me a chance to prove myself. Yes, I was exponentially weaker at the time we met than I am now, but that could have been remedied. You could have trained me while at the same time get to know who I was, and allow me to know who you are."

She pulled away and stood while wiping stray tears from her face.

"I need time, Sesshomaru. Give me - give me a week. Let me acclimated to being back, let me have time with my friends, and let me sort my thoughts on all of... _this_." Her hand motioning to the space between them.

His breathing had stopped when she first started, and he'd had to constantly tell himself the whole time that she was not outright rejecting the bond - _rejecting him_. She needed time. He had known that when he first showed up. Now he just needed to give it to her.

He nodded his head as he rose.

"Very well, miko. I have to return back to the west momentarily, but I shall return within two days."

Her hair swayed as she nodded her understanding.

"I will walk you back to the village."

Walking back was as quiet as it had been when they first made their way to the clearing. The difference on the return trip was the tension and unease emanating between the two. So, lost in thought it seemed to catch them both by surprise when they arrived in what felt like seconds.

Turning towards each other, the regal lord simply inclined his head.

"I shall see you in a few days, miko. If you have questions, I will do what I can to answer them upon my return."

She was hugging her arms, and her eyes wouldn't quite meet his own. Taking a chance he lifted his clawed hand and tilted her chin up, silently begging her to meet his gaze.

Apparently the Kami seemed fit to bless him, at least somewhat, this day because when she finally turned cerulean orbs on him, they were lit with a soft smile that mimicked the one on her full lips.

"Okay. I'll make sure to have a list ready. After all, who knows when I'll get the opportunity to have you give straightforward answers again?"

He allowed a smirk to lift the corners of his mouth.

"Indeed. You should not waste such an opportune moment. Not all can say they are able to ask what they please from the Western Lord without risk of being maimed."

Her soft laughter sounded like music to his ears as it floated around them.

Her eyes, much lighter than they had been earlier, showed the brightness of the soul within.

_His mate was an extraordinary female._

"Good night, Sesshomaru."

She turned and walked in the direction of the old miko's hut, leaving him behind to watch as she slipped away in the light of the moon just starting to rise. The sight left him hoping that the next visit ended differently. Much differently.

Shaking his head he turned west, and condensed his youki enough to lift him into the sky to begin the journey back to his stronghold. He would have much to answer when he arrived. The other lords would demand an answer as to the reason of his impromptu departure. He could already feel a headache blooming at just the thought of the tedious details he would need to go through for the next few days ensure everything was in order so he could return to Edo where his mate would be waiting for him - where _home_ would be waiting for him.

* * *

**So, early update! This chapter is one of my favorites, and has been eating at me since I started posting _Coming Home_. With that being said, I couldn't hold it any longer and had to post it. I hope you all enjoy, and please let me know how you feel about the story this far!**


	8. Chapter 8

When she had arrived back at Kaede's hut, she didn't get the opportunity to go over with her friends the details of the visit. Not that she would have right away anyhow. Inuyasha was fast asleep, the wounds he suffered tiring out his body. Shippo wasn't far behind. His little body curled up on a futon with droopy eyes attempting to stay awake a little longer. Sango and Miroku now had their children, a village woman had stopping by to deliver them on their way home, and they were eager to return to their hut to settle them down for the night. She had simply nodded with a small smile on her face stating she understood. They returned grateful smiles and had wished her a good night, but she had seen the worried glances they had shared.

She had sighed deeply after they had left. She'd only been back for a few hours and already she seemed to have herself wrapped up in a mess that had her friends worried for her well-being. Frustration flared as she fiddled with her bedding. She had used her time away wisely, had worked hard to become stronger and more knowledgeable so she wouldn't worry them if she was ever able to return, and before she even has a chance to greet them she's already causing them troubles.

She glanced over at Kaede to see her putting away the tea and utensils the others had used while she had been speaking with Sesshomaru.

"What troubles ye, child?"

Kaede rose her head to meet her gaze.

"Did - did Inuyasha or Shippo say anything? About what was going on with Sesshomaru, I mean?"

She shook her head.

"Nay. Though Inuyasha suggested ye would be able to enlighten us after your visit with his brother."

She fought a scoff at that. Inuyasha no doubt said a few other choice words to go along with it.

"Sesshomaru explained how mating works with demons. It's sort of, but not exactly, like a youkai version of soulmates."

"Oh? What does this have to do with, ye?"

She looked down, the validity of his statement was still uncertain enough, in her opinion, to be questionable.

"He claims I'm his - his mate."

Looking up to gauge the reaction on Kaede's face, and was surprised to see the older woman appear more contemplative instead of outright shocked as she had been.

"The possibility of him being truthful regarding the matter is probable. I could see where ye would be considered the others counterpart, especially since ye are a miko."

"It's not just the counterpart thing that bothers me. He's known. Since the first time he saw me, he knew we were mates, and... he rejected the bond. Now he all of a sudden wants to make something of it."

She shook her head as frustration started giving way to anger from the stress of the days events.

"I don't understand how three years can all of a sudden change his mind, I mean, that's gotta be barely a blink of an eye to a youkai, right?"

"Did he explain why he rejected the bond?"

Frowning she looked to the fire in the center of the room.

"In a way, yes, but he's hiding more than what he's telling me. I could sense hesitancy and worry in his aura."

"Perhaps, he is concerned with your reaction. Misunderstanding is a common factor in any relationship, new or old, when serious matters create complications."

She ran a hand through her hair, swiping the strands aggressively from her face.

"That's just it though! We don't have a relationship. We didn't have one three years ago aside from a hesitant nonverbal agreement to not kill each other, and that was only towards the end of the search."

She sat back against one the walls, tipping her head back as she shut her eyes.

"This just - I'm so _confused_. Confused as to why he rejected the bond back then, confused at his change of heart, confused on what he gains from this, confused at my own reactions. This isn't what I expected to come back to. I thought I was coming back to my friends, the era I had fallen in love with, - I thought I was coming home."

She sighed as she leaned forward and crawled over to her futon laid out beside Shippo's.

"I think I just need some sleep. Maybe tomorrow I can make more sense of all this, but not tonight."

Kaede nodded and quietly hid her goodnight. Kagome noted the twinkle in her eye as she rolled over and closed her own, too tired to inquire about it.

* * *

She watched as the young woman across her hut drifted off to sleep with a small smile on her wrinkled face. She had missed the girl.

Kagome was the type who's soul lit up all of those around her. Just being in her presence seemed to ease those who were lucky enough to experience the love that radiated from her. Although, the three years away had changed her, she was still the bright soul she had been when she was swept away. Now, she was more intelligent, the calculating gaze in her eyes as she observed those around her didn't go unnoticed by the older woman, nor did the confidence that had not been there before.

She considered the young miko's newest predicament as the girl dozed. If the Western Lord spoke true, the young girl's life was about to become exceedingly difficult, however... with a mate such as Lord Sesshomaru at her side, she highly doubted he would allow such hardships to befall her.

Although he was a cold male that flourished in violence and brutality, she did not believe that was all that made up the demon lord. She had a feeling that he just may be good for the young girl, just as she may be good for he.

Kaede turned towards her own futon, and began laying it out so she could retire for the night. After crawling in with creaking bones and weary muscles, she looked once more to Kagome as her earlier words floated through her mind.

"Home is naught but a term the mind uses to make ye feel comfortable. Ye may determine that where that comfort lie is not where ye expected."

She sincerely doubted it would take to long before the young miko was able to determine for herself where home lie.

* * *

The next morning found Kagome sitting in the hut helping Kaede change Inuyasha's bandages. Shippo was off sitting to the side still eating the rest of his breakfast.

Inuyasha had grumbled when Kaede mentioned changing the bandages, but had sat up on his own, something that shouldn't have surprised her given how fast his healing kicked in. Already the worst of the bruising had faded and his breathing clear. A couple of more days, and he would probably be up walking around.

Leaning him forward a bit to wrap the bandages behind his back, caused him to wince at the pressure and hiss out.

"Kami, woman! What are you trying to do shove my face in the ground?"

Shippo snickered, "You're such a baby, Inuyasha. You should have known better."

He growled as his golden eyes swiveled to the kit, "How was I supposed to know they were mates? And even if I did, there was still no way to know the bastard would come flying in ready to lop my head off the second she came through that damn well!"

"Inuyasha, language. Shippo, stop goading him. Both of you, _hush_."

She secured the bandages and pushed Inuyasha back so he could recline against the wall they had piled with blankets.

She pinched the bridge of her nose as she sighed. "I need some answers. This is obviously confusing to me, and I have no flipping clue what I'm going to do at this point."

Shippo sat his plate down and scooted up next to her, wedging himself between her side and her arm. She obliged the silent request, and wrapped him in her arms.

She had missed him.

"What did he tell you?" Inuyasha's question had her spiraling back to the night before.

"Essentially that we're mates, he's known since he seen me, and there were circumstances that prevented him from taking me. He did not say what those circumstances were aside from that his household essentially needed to be human-proofed. Also, he said that he would be back in a couple of days after he dealt with some stuff."

Inuyasha scowled as he looked at the wall. "Of course he didn't say shit."

He heaved a heavy sigh, and turned back towards her. Kagome blanched at the serious look on his face, and was momentarily proud at how much he had grown in the three years she had been gone.

"Listen, I don't like this shit. If I could, I would haul your ass to the other side of the world and hide you away from the bastard, but mating is serious shit."

Her brows creased as she remembered something similar Sesshomaru had said.

Nodding her head, she signaled for him to go on.

"Mating binds you together. It's like... being empty, but not really knowing it until the hole is filled."

Shippo hid a smile behind a clawed hand, and Inuyasha bared his teeth.

"What are you smiling for, runt?"

"That was so gushy!" His shoulders shook as he tried to hide his laughter.

A smile made its way to her, as the flap to the hut opened and Miroku stepped in with one to match her own save for the teasing in his eye.

"Indeed, my friend. Who knew you were so poetic? That was truly romantic."

Kagome watched as a slight blush made its way to Inuyasha's cheeks. "Keh, shaddup! I don't see either one of you jumping up to explain this shit to her."

Miroku knelt beside her and winked as he turned toward the hanyou.

"Ah, but after that beautiful display, how could we live up to the expectations you have set? We would surely fail miserably as your replacement."

"I swear to the Kami, Miroku, when I'm able to stand back up I'm gonna cut off your hands so you can never feel up Sango's ass again if you don't shut your mouth."

She giggled as Miroku's face drained of color, and he bowed his head.

"My apologies, Inuyasha."

Incoherent muttering sounded in the hut, as Miroku turned back towards her.

"I know I said it yesterday, but it is wonderful to see you again, Kagome. It has been much to long since we have seen you."

She smiled warmly, "it's good to see all of you again as well. I missed everyone so much these last three years."

She cuddled Shippo closer. It really was great to see them all again. Determined to know everything she had missed, she looked at each of her friends - excluding one.

"Where's Sango?"

"Ah, she's getting the young ones around to go start laundering. I was to tell you that if you wished to join them at the river."

Standing with Shippo in her arms, she started to the door, "well if you'll excuse me, I believe I'll head that way. I needed to speak to her anyhow and catch up on everything. I'll see you later?"

Miroku nodded while Inuyasha simply waved a hand telling her to go on.

* * *

Miroku watched as the young miko left before turning to his friend. His ears were pinned to his head and his eyes down fallen. Sympathy radiated from him at the situation that had befallen the hanyou upon their friend's return to this era.

"I am sorry, my friend."

Inuyasha didn't speak, but he could see the tense lining of his shoulders.

"It's fine. I just -."

His saddened golden eyes met Miroku's, and he saw the silent wish behind his sorrow filled eyes.

"As long as she's happy, ya know?"

He turned contemplative for a moment. "You could always tell her. The bond doesn't ensure her happiness."

Miroku knew what his answer would be before he said anything. His friend had matured in many ways over the last few years. Especially in regards to, Kagome.

"Nah. The wench deserves the right to decide without me hanging over her. I had my shot. Doesn't mean if he fucks it up, I won't be there waiting for another chance, but - she deserves to be happy more than any of us, and a bond, _if_ it works out, will make her happier than I could. Just getting to be her friend is enough."

Inuyasha turned his face away, attempting to hide the pain he was holding in. His whispered voice cracking under the pressure.

"I just wish it _was_ me."

Miroku put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know."

He couldn't imagine waiting three years, going through revelations and maturing, so that when the girl you realized you wanted to spend your life with came home, you'd be ready to sweep her off her feet. Only to have all your wishes and thoughts of the future to come crashing down when you find out she was never meant to be yours, but your _brother's_.

Yes, he truly felt for his hanyou friend.


End file.
